


A New Type of Normal

by AshWinterGray



Series: Hargrove-Mayfield-Harrington Family [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Murder, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gun Violence, Hope, House Hunting, Hurt/Comfort, Newspapers, Police, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Love, Siblings, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-26 18:50:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19774255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshWinterGray/pseuds/AshWinterGray
Summary: Sequel to "Siblings Through and Through"Steve, Billy, and Max have been trying to move on since the day of July 4th, 1985. But no matter what they do, something always seems to happen. Something always gets in the way. Now, they have to survive life, but they aren't alone. Not anymore. They have great friends, and they have each other.





	A New Type of Normal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MultiFandom__Writer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MultiFandom__Writer/gifts), [Franny](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Franny/gifts).



> Enjoy, my friends!!!!

The day Steve Harrington’s father drunkly punched him in the face, Hopper had been there. Well, in all honesty, the entire Party had been there, but what was important was the fact that Hopper had been there. If the well-known Chief of police hadn’t been there, Billy would have killed the man. But Hopper had been there, and Joyce’s calm touch had been what prevented Billy from flying forward to protect and save his brother.

But let’s go back to the beginning of that day.

“So, these apartments, right?” Steve hummed as he laid out the many newspaper ads for places to live. “And even a few houses, though I think houses would e preferable if Max decides to stay over at some point or another.”

“Yeah,” Billy nodded at Steve’s side. “Speaking of which, we need to go check on the others. Make sure they didn’t drown themselves.”

“I can still hear them screaming,” Steve scoffed. “They’re fine.”

Billy had moved in with Steve shortly after everything, not daring to go back home. And since Max was still a minor, it was deemed best that she stay with her mother, even if they weren’t on speaking terms anymore, and Max spent most of her time at the Harrington house.

“I’m just going to check,” Billy chuckled as a squeal was heard outside, followed by laughter. “You just relax man.”

_The Gate is closed. No one else will die in that pool._

That was all Steve needed, the soft reassurances as he let Billy go check on the group by the pool. They wanted Nancy and Jonathan to come along and search the houses, and Murray Bauman had been insisting on coming with too. Billy, Steve, and Max had started to see him as their crazy uncle who was a bit overprotective. They would never tell him that though. Robin was also going to come with them, eager to give her witty comment until they found the right place.

But today, they were going to show Nancy and Jonathan the places they believed might work and then they were going to check the places out over the weekend. So, gathering the clippings and his courage, Steve made his way to the pool.

He didn’t quite make it, instead finding himself spinning into the screen door.

“You disgusting piece of trash,” his father slurred out.

“Hey!”

Steve had, in the moment he saw his father, forgotten that there were people outside. So when the door was yanked open, and Steve fell into someone’s leg, he had flailed until he heard Hopper bark out. Then he had frozen at the tone, but Hopper was pulling him up and into the arms of Nancy and Jonathan. Joyce had a hand on Billy’s arm, the latter seething, but shooting Steve a warm look. And Max was staring at his father, _their father_ , with a look of pure hatred.

“You like abusing your son?” Hopper spat at Steve’s father. “Find it funny?”

“Kid deserves it,” Steve’s father slurred, and Steve flinched.

“That’s all I needed to hear,” Hopper growled before pulling handcuffs from his belt and hooking them on. “You’re under arrest.”

As Hopper and his father disappeared, Nancy pulled Steve back.

“Why don’t we go house hunting tomorrow,” she offered gently as Max barreled into Steve.

“Yeah,” Steve nodded as Robin and Billy suddenly came to his side, and he was quickly tackled by Dustin and El too. The other kids hovered close, and Joyce quickly squeezed his shoulder in reassurance as Jonathan let Billy take his position in supporting Steve’s shaking form. “Yeah. That sounds great. We’ll need to, uh, we’ll need to tell Uncle Bauman.”

“Right here, kid,” Murray ruffled Steve’s hair. “We’ll go tomorrow, no problem.”

Later, when Steve had settled and relaxed with his family, Murray would tease him for the “Uncle Bauman” thing.

\----------------------------

“We’ve looked at eight different places,” Robin groaned. “How does Hawkins have such terrible real estate when no one lives here?”

They were all feeling a bit put out. Bauman had opted to drive the Wheeler’s new car as it held the most people with the expanded trunk, but they were feeling beyond put out by now. Robin sat beside Bauman, groaning as she thumped her head repeatedly against the seat. Nancy and Billy were in the middle, both going over the remaining three pieces of clippings and whispering in frustration as they discussed the terrible advertising in the paper.

In the back was Steve, Billy, Max, and El. The boys were having a guys’ day, courtesy of Steve dragging El along so they could do a long since needed campaign. But they were all very much put off at the moment.

“Hey,” Jonathan suddenly said, surprising everyone. “Hey! Murray! Pull over! Pull over!”

Everyone gasped and cried out as Bauman swung into a parking space, the four in he back banged their heads rather aggressively at that.

“What the heck, Jonathan,” Nancy gaped at her boyfriend.

“The newspaper gives out houses on the market,” Jonathan looked at Nancy eagerly. “But they hold back some of that information to make room.”

“So?” Nancy questioned. But then she saw where they had stopped. “Oh. Oh!”

The group, though confused, followed the now eager couple to the paper.

“Not again,” a man sighed. “Listen guys, I can’t help you-”

“We’re not here for jobs,” Nancy shook her head. “We were hoping you might be able to help us with something else.”

The man, clearly the new guy in charge, was skeptical. “How?”

“We’re house hunting,” Jonathan motioned to Billy and Steve. “They’re brothers, sort of. And they’re looking to move. You wouldn’t happen to have records of houses that weren’t in the newspaper. Most of the houses we looked at don’t match the description we saw.”

The guy sighed. “I might have something,” he shrugged. “Let me see real quick. You two have a budget?”

A few minutes later had most of the group leaning over the stack of houses for lease. Only Nancy wasn’t looking, and that was because the coffee machine had broken down, and she had offered to fix it.

“So what’s their story?” one of the guys asked as he motioned to Billy and Steve.

“That’s a bit complicated,” Nancy admitted. “So, Steve and Max are half-siblings. Her mother had a relationship with Steve’s father. And Billy is Max’s step-sister. Well, as you’ve already wrote in the paper, neither family had good fathers. So, the three of them decided they were going to support each other. They’ve gotten to the point where they just call each other siblings.”

“Real family failed them,” El spoke, startling everyone. “Their parents failed them, hurt them. So they learned to trust each other when everyone else hurts them.”

“Sounds like a story,” a voice spoke. “Let me tell you, this town needs something good right now.”

Nancy watched as Billy, Max, and Steve were talking and laughing over some of the ads they were glancing over. Benny, Barb, Bob, Alexei, Heather, Tom, and so many others. This town did need something good.

“Look at these idiots,” someone else scoffed as Nancy handed him coffee. He was watching the news. “Can someone like Chief Hopper become Mayor or something. These idiots just need to step back.”

Nancy was suddenly teeming with ideas as she left her old workplace. Jonathan was confused, but he gladly took pictures for Nancy when she asked.

“The plumbing needs help,” Bauman called on the first house. “Serious help.”

But Steve, Billy, and Max were grinning. Nancy and Jonathan agreed that the best picture was of Max on Billy’s back as they raced up to a house. Steve had El on his back, following close behind.

It was the fifth house, the fifth house of the new list that got Billy, Max, and Steve excited. It was a house, ready to rent, and it had four bedrooms. A working water system. Two bathroom. A lovely dinning room.

“The only real negative is the color of the kitchen,” Bauman stated as he walked around the house. “Burnt orange is disgusting. And also that locking system. But I can fix that. Are we sure this house is for sale for such a low price?”

It was the only house of the group that was for sale and in the right price range. But the group could find nothing wrong as they waited for the realtor to come by.

“That’s what it says,” Jonathan glanced at the paper.

“Sad,” El stated suddenly. “Someone was sad here. Very sad.”

When the realtor showed up, they learned that a little boy had died from cancer, and the parents couldn’t bare to stay in the house, or in town. But the house had made the boy happy once, even when he was dying, so the parents had put the house at the lowest price they could in the hopes it would make someone else happy.

“Well take it,” Billy and Steve had only needed to share a look.

The house was sad, yes, but it reeked of love. Something both needed in their lives.

\--------------------------

Steve and Robin managed to get jobs at the video store so long as Steve educated himself on movies. That was Keith’s condition after a long discussion with Robin. Billy, however, had decided to quit the pool and was looking for a new job.

“It’s our house,” Steve told Billy. “We own this. We aren’t paying rent or anything. Honestly, Billy, we have the money. Really, we do. You don’t need a job.”

“I hate feeling useless,” Billy grumbled as they relaxed on their new couch. “I need to do something, Steve. Not just sit here all day and unpack.”

Not that they had actually done any unpacking. They’d been furniture shopping, sure, but they hadn’t really grabbed much form their homes at all. Steve’s mom had decided to give them some savings as a stupid apology gift, but she adored Max, so that was a plus.

_“He’s been cheating on me for years,” Steve’s mother had said when they had introduced Max and Billy. “I am not in the least bit surprised, darling. Welcome to our messed up family.”_

Steve’s mother was around more often now, and they had learned that she had stayed away because she had not wanted to lash out at her own son. It was a stupid excuse, which she admitted, but she wasn’t going to stick around much either.

_“I was a terrible mother,” she had told Steve. “I had to hire a nanny for you because there would be times when I would forget to feed you or burp you. I would forget to put you to sleep. And I smoked around you too much. I was afraid I would hurt you, but I guess I did that anyways.”_

She had, true, but like Billy (whose mother would come visit from time to time, now with her new boyfriend), Mrs. Harrington was eager to be in her son’s life.

“Then let’s do something,” Steve huffed. “Let’s turn the fourth bedroom into an office and you can start a business or something.”

“Yeah,” Billy scoffed. “And how would I do that?”

Steve shrugged. “Uncle Bauman might have some ideas. We could go visit him this weekend.”

That was true. Uncle Bauman was as smart as he was crazy.

“I’d die in an office,” Billy scoffed back.

“Yeah,” Steve nodded. “I think we both would.”

\-------------------------------

Billy and Steve were gaping, and Max honestly wished she had a camera to take a picture. Because there, in front of them, were two cars. Two very familiar cars that neither thought they would see again. Bauman was laughing, beyond happy at their expressions, and the rest of the Party was there too.

Thankfully, Jonathan gladly snapped a picture.

“What do you think?” Bauman gladly slapped a hand onto _the_ Camaro like some stupid cars salesman. “Pretty great, right?”

“But, I thought it was totaled,” Billy breathed as he stared at _his_ baby. “They said.”

“I know people,” Bauman shrugged. “And it wouldn’t be here if it was totaled. But Steve, my darling nephew, what about you?”

“How the heck did you get ahold of the TodFather?” Steve breathed in shock.

“I know a lot of people,” Bauman waved off. “Why does this surprise everyone?”

Yeah, Murray Bauman was definitely the best uncle ever. Even if he didn’t do hugs, despite Steve’s best efforts.

\---------------------------

“I want to live with you,” Max stated firmly.

Steve and Billy blinked at her and shared a look.

“Please, I can’t stand it anymore!” Max was begging now. “She keeps talking about trying to pay Neil’s bale, and she visits him in prison and keeps discussing how he’s promised to be better, and we can still be a family.”

Steve and Billy were, in fact, aware of these visits and conversations. In fact, Hopper had personally warned them about Susan’s plans to get her husband out. Which was why the were currently building a case against Susan so they could get custody.

“Okay,” Steve shrugged. “We’re working on it.”

“What?”

A week later, and they had a case done well enough to take to court. It would take time, but they could do it. They could. Steve in particular could get custody of his sister. And if the court didn’t like Steve, then Steve’s mother was more than willing to adopt the girl.

But, like all cases, they had to wait.

“You could get a job at the weird yoga place,” Steve teased Billy as they looked through the newspaper for new hires. “Or, you know, we could come up with a business.”

“Why are you so eager for me to own a business?” Billy asked him.

“Because you’d be good at it,” Steve shrugged, still flipping through the newspaper. “You’re smart enough, strong enough, and you’re a natural born leader.”

Billy blinked at Steve. “If I’m going to be a businessman, then you should be a teacher or something. It would suit you, being around kids.”

“I can’t even learn anything,” Steve scoffed. “How am I going to become a teacher?”

Billy hates it when Steve talks down on himself, something Steve has been trying to fix as Billy tries to control his reactions to things. But before he can scold his brother, the front door unlocks.

“Must be Max,” Steve shrugged. “I’ll get her.”

Billy gives a hum as he continues to look at job ads and Steve disappears. Only, it isn’t Max’s voice that greets his ears. It’s the sound of a gunshot, followed by the sound of Steve making a gurgled sound of pain. Then a thump.

“Billy?”

And Billy knew that voice, had heard it since his father remarried. What was Susan doing here? And what had she done to Steve?”

Billy, whose terrified brain had managed to process things, realized he had an advantage as he heard Susan call his name again. He knew the house. So as Susan got closer, Billy slipped out of the room and towards one of three phones in the house, on Bauman’s insistence of course.

_“911, what’s you’re emergency?”_

“She has a gun,” Billy whispered quickly. “She has a gun and she shot my brother.”

Susan was getting closer, calling his name, so he left the phone off the receiver and moved to where he expected Steve to be. Steve was there, on the floor, bleeding out but alive.

“Keep pressure here,” Billy whispered to Steve. “Help is coming.”

“Go,” Steve gurgled out. “Go.”

Billy heard Susan coming again, so he made sure Steve kept pressure on the wound and slunk off to grab another phone.

Where the heck was Max?

“Stop.”

Billy froze, turning slowly to see Susan, her expression blank as she aimed the gun at him.

“You think you can steal my daughter?” Susan demanded, sounding a bit hysterical. “You think you can ruin our family?”

“Susan-”

“Shut up!” Susan screamed, firing a shot that missed Billy completely. “Shut up! Neil was right! Your entire existence has destroyed our family! You would be better off _dead_!”

“What did you do to Max?” Billy asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

“She’s home,” Susan laughed. “Where she belongs. In her room, all secure.”

“So you tied her up?”

“Shut up!” another shot that missed Billy.

“You tied up your own daughter,” Billy continued, trying to reach Susan as Steve had for him. “You tied her up, and came to kill me. And I bet she knows too, right?”

“She’ll understand!”

“Will she?” Billy questioned. “You just shot her blood brother. Her favorite person in the world. Do you think she’ll forgive you if Steve dies? Do you, Susan? Do you think she’ll forgive you if you take her away from her boyfriend? Do you think she’ll forgive you for helping Neil after he hurt her and will continue to hurt her?”

“He promised!” Susan screeched at Billy. “He promised he would never hurt her again!”

“He doesn’t have to,” Billy stated. “You already have.”

“NOOOOO!”

Another shot fired, but it was stopped by the familiar face of Officer Powell and Callahan tackling Susan to the floor. The shot ended up hitting the roof, and Billy quickly raced back to Steve, where two deputies and a paramedic were leaned over him.

“I think,” Steve coughed out. “I think we get custody of Max now.”

If Steve wasn’t possibly dying, Billy would have laughed. As it was, he just climbed into the ambulance as the paramedics tried to save Steve.

\---------------------------

“Okay, so I figured it out,” Bauman plopped down in front of the group. “I figured out Steve’s problem.”

It had been a month since the gun shot, and Steve was still in recovery at the hospital. The shot had been a little too close to his heart, and the doctors had been worried it might have hit Steve’s spin or something. Thankfully, Susan was terrible with a gun and had missed any and all major organs. Steve was just recovering now.

“Yeah, I’m in a hospital bed because I got shot,” Steve scoffed at his Uncle.

“No, not that problem,” Bauman flapped a hand at Steve. “You’re learning problem. I figured out why you can’t learn in school settings.”

“Why?”

“That’s not important right now,” Bauman waved off. “What is important, is that Steve can still learn things, just not like the rest of us. And I am going to teach you.”

“That sounds terrifying,” Mike grumbled out.

Bauman’s theory was that Steve’s brain needed to bounce, that it couldn’t focus on one thing at a time for a long period of time. Which was why Bauman had opted to teach Steve things differently, by letting him do activities as he learned.

Steve was then learning math, English, Russian, geography, science, and anything else Bauman or someone else could teach him. It made his head spin half the time, but he was starting to remember things.

“See,” Robin grinned at him, punching his arm. “You can be smart.”

“Заткнись,” Steve hissed at her, and she laughed.

\-------------------------------------

“Nancy release an article,” Max showed Steve and Billy one day. “About us.”

Steve and Billy read the article titled _Found Family_ in the newspaper, talking in light detail about the horrors they had gone through and how they had become their own family, all the way up to their recent adoption of Max. It started out dark, but became light as it went along.

“It gives hope,” Max said after she was sure they had finished reading. “Nancy says our story gives hope.”

Billy and Steve tried their best to scrub at their tears, but that didn’t stop them from falling.

\--------------------------------

There were bad nights, because of course there were. Between the three of them, nightmares had to be a thing. Billy dreaming of the faces the Mind-Flayer made him kill. Max seeing her brother possessed and unable to save him. Steve reliving the moment in the car where he pulled Billy out only to realize he had failed in his dreams.

Sometimes these dreams would happen when they were sleeping, other times, it would happen in the middle of the day and they would just stop. El and Will got like that too sometimes, but it struck Max, Steve, and Billy hard this time around.

“I’m scared,” Max whispered to Billy and Steve.

They’d got her everything she could need. Fuzzy socks, chocolate, a heating pad, and they even dragged out Steve’s old wheel chair for reasons.

“I’m scared,” Max suddenly sobbed out.

“We’re here,” Billy whispered, tucking his sister to his chest. “We’re here, Max. Okay?”

Steve slid his arms around them both, letting their heads lean into his shoulders as he kissed Max’s head.

“We’ve got you,” Steve promised. “We’ve got you. I promise.”

Panic attacks happened over even the smallest details, but the group had each other. And that was all that mattered. All they had to do was keep each other close.

“Don’t go.”

_Never._

\--------------------

Billy, in the end, did not open a business. But they did turn the spare room into an office meant for observation. A warning.

“Is this necessary?” Hopper had asked as he cared the fifth computer into the house.

“We keep thinking its over,” Steve stated firmly. “We keep thinking nothing else will happen. But we always turn out wrong.”

“Better to be prepared and not need it than to be unprepared and suffer,” Dustin pipped up. “Now help me configure this thing, already. It needs two people.”

They could be prepared. They could be prepared for anything. Together as a family.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I wrote a story called "The Sister of Steve Harrington"
> 
> I have received many sequel requests, especially now that Season Three exists. Know, I wrote that story forever ago, and in my own opinion, it sucked. Not the plot, just my writing style.
> 
> Would you guys be interested in a rewrite that would start with After Season 1 and lead up to after Season 3? It would be a book.


End file.
